Dallas Arboretum Debuts Year-Round Food Oasis

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden will soon offer A Tasteful Place, an edible display garden complete with a newly developed lagoon and meandering walkways.

The 3.5-acre garden will also include a pavilion with event space and teaching kitchen, an orchard, beds of ornamental display vegetables, herbs and flowers, as well as shaded porches and walkways.

A Tasteful Place was inspired by the movement toward growing and eating sustainable fresh, locally grown food. This $12 million garden officially opens on Oct. 3 with a ribbon cutting, followed by A Garden Gala Party, a ticketed event, on Oct. 15.

Mark Wolf, Dallas Arboretum board chairman, said, “A Dallas landmark and international destination, the Dallas Arboretum has carefully planned for many years to build A Tasteful Place to fit in with our mission of being not only a beautiful display garden, but also one involved in education and research. There are few other gardens in the country doing what we’re doing here at this level.”

A Tasteful Place is a collaborative effort of alliances with individuals and groups around the city that support the Arboretum with both development and programming, including P. Allen Smith, award-winning food, lifestyle, and garden expert and host of two public television programs.

Programming includes a year-round calendar of activities, including:

daily tastings of recipes developed from the featured vegetable of the week

hands-on cooking classes and cooking demonstrations led by professional chefs

quarterly garden-to-table dinners

nutrition presentations

horticulture demonstrations

parent/child cooking classes

special events

“Our climate is perfect in North Texas for having produce available every day,” said Jenny Wegley, Dallas Arboretum’s vice president of horticulture. “This garden will be beautiful, educational, and active, so whenever you visit, there will be something new to sample, to learn, and to experience.”

For those interested in attending A Garden Gala Party on Oct. 15, with Honorary Chairs Diane and Hal Brierley and Chairs Barbara Bigham and Robin Carreker, call 214-515-6549, or email eventrepliesslw@gmail.com.